The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-27
so. then aegravating after that ones only re-
lief is in cussing the country, but finally it be-

so. then aegravating; after that ones only re-
lief is in cussing the country, but finally it be-
comes absurd and amusing.
the finest old buck antelope which fell to me
on the whole trip came to a most melancholy
and yet most laughable end. Boyd and started
out together. one morning. and about two miles
from camp we espied, some distance ahead OF
Us, few antelope feeding. looked them over
with the glass. and saw one fine old buck, whose
skin was needed in oGr collection. We rode to
side and approached the herd behind q little,
until the time came to dismount, and then we
each chose our point and started ahead on foot.
l finally fetched up at the top Of a rocky knoll,
within about It's yards of the buck, who
feeding in a hollow. and fred at him. The DULLES
hit him fairly, but he ran q little distance and
then stood still. The next shot brought him
down, and by the time we got to him be was
dead
We disemboweled him to save the meat from
spelling, taking infinite pains to keep the blood
from the hair. and left the carcass to be carried
to camp in the evening on our way back. We
went on our way, had long, tiresome ride
through some very bad country, and Just before
sunset, when we had given up all hope Of find
ing any buffalo that day. we came upon two in a
ravine, cow and yearlng calf, and killed
them both. Well, the next day, after skinnng
the two buffalo and sending Brown with the
wagon to haul them to camp, we rode of to bring
in the dead buck.
Contrary to our expectations, we found him
untouched by the coyotes, and at once proceeded
to place the carcass across roam pony we had
had been dubbed ''The Digger &C.
count of the way he held his head down
when running Well, The Digger OBJ
jected and said he had conscientious
scrupes against carrying dead antelope His
objections noted, but promptly overruled
by the court, and the tying proceeded. The
Digger said it was bad enough to carry tender
foot, or even cowboy, but, as for the corpse OF
an antelope, he'd see us further before he'd do
it. So. without further notice, he Just simply
jumped from under the antelope, and it fell to
the earth. Boyd expressed his opinion OF The
Digger's maternal ancestor and, like another
Bernardo, sternly led the pony up to the corpse
second time. The Digger promptly retired IN
good order. Then Boyd took off his coat and
blindtolded him, but the moment the antelope
touched his back the ponys heels few heaven
ward. and again the game fell all in heap.
Then Boyd tied up one OF The Digger's forelegs,
and kept it so until we had put the antelope
aboard and dashed it securely. Having con-
quered the broncho, We removed his blind, united
his leg. and essayed to start the procession.
And then what circus was there! The Dig
ger began to rear, and plunge and buck, and
kick the breeze in a way that was awful to be-
hold. He kicked at the antelope again and again,
he bucked, and bawled and tore UP the turf in
wild efforts to dislodge that old man of the sea.
He reached around and bit the carcass again and
| again, tearing out great mouthfuls of hair.
Finally the antelope turned on him, dead though
| it was, so that it hung under his body and then
he got satisfaction out of it. He kicked it until
| it was not worth while to kick it any more, and
| then we united the ropes and took it away from
him. It looked as if it had been run through a
| threshing machine It was total wreck, unfit
for anything except hash, and not irst.class fol-
| that
From first to last we killed about thirty ante
| lope, every one Of which we made use of, either
as a specimen, food, or both. We could
| have killed double that number Of head very
| easily, scarce though they were, but we never
| took one unless we wanted it for some specific
| purpose. From spring until December the
| bands are broken up iuto pairs, or larger par
| ties up to dozen in number. With the begin
ming of winter. about Dec. l, they gather ii
large herds. sometimes of 800 head or more, and
| remain so during the winter Where there were
herds of 200 head few years ago. we saw none
larger than thirty or forty. and they grow small
| er every year. When there is on thu
| ground it is almost impossible to SEQ herd un
| zon, and the hunter finds his skill taxed to tn.
| utmost to win success. When there is no snow
| however, the snow white rump Of pronghorr
| is conspicuous mile distant
| Thanks to the eternal wariness of the ante
| lope ant his keenness of vision, combined will
| the speed and staying powers of his limbs. b
| has outlived his comrades of the plains, the buf
falo. elk and deer. He will last rber O
| years yet, but his days numbert 1t tn
| same. The breecE-loaders will extern hin
ALSO unless some thing decided is done INC
for his preservation. Had his hide been y tn
dollar there would be only one alive wher. her
are now twenty. But his flesh is the gt ates
dainty the prairie affords, aye or the fores
either. for that matter, and it is good all tn
year round. 1t is tender, fine grained. exquis
itely favored. and always in demand wheneve
| obtainable